The Rustle
by EmsSpencer-Giles
Summary: On hearing news from Bo and Lamar, Matt and C.J set off back home to Matt's father's ranch where they learn that a significant number of cattle has been rustled.  As always not my character's
1. Chapter 1

**The Rustle Chapter 1.**

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><p>"Houston ….its Bo"<p>

"Hey Bo, how you, how ya doin and how's good ol' Texas?" Matt replied laughing

"All good but not the ranch…."Bo relied seriously

"Why what's wrong, buddy?"

"Cattle rustling we suspect…we did a couple of ride outs to check the stock and do some controlled counts and penned them both times with a specific and discreet brand….ten of them disappeared first time, twenty on the second count…I think…." Bo explained nervously

"I'm coming outdo you suspect anyone?" Matt asked

"Lamar went down to the stock market yesterday and reported some potential stolen but until they have done the brand test I can't confirm from which ranch, you're fathers ranch is bordered by three so at the moment there is no real way of telling for sure Matt"

"Bo this is potentially a capital offence, and my father and I had good working relationships with all three ranches, so I'm not liking what I'm hearing, why didn't you call me first time" Matt asked gently but firmly

"We had to run a second count with a week's space between to be sure. To be honest we thought it was a count error or we hadn't secured the coral gate properly but it's a ranching bye-law to show evidence of two clear counts before you can challenge at a stock market" Bo replied

"Ok I understand, expect us later today" Matt replied "see you later Bo" turning to C.J he continued right we're off to Texas, you need your cowgirl gear, we're goin' ranchin' counsellor!"

Leaping out of her chair she turned and smiled "Great, when we leaving cowboy"

"I'll swing past in two hours to collect you and we'll head to the airport. I'll have Chris sort the flights, or get a pilot booked for mine, we're gonna need all the energy we can muster. Long days in the saddle I think"

"See you soon" C.J responded gathering the essential paperwork she needed to complete

"Matt there are seats reserved with British airways on a flight leaving in three hours back to Houston, or I can have a pilot booked" Chris called to him

"We'll take the BA flights thanks Chris just as easy, are they business or first class? " Matt called back

"They only had first class tickets left"

"No problem can you confirm them, thanks Chris"

"Tickets will be waiting at the desk and I'll have a car waiting for you at Houston"

"That's great, thanks Chris, not sure how long we'll be but I will keep in touch as much as I can, we could be out on the ranch a fair bit" Matt replied as he took the paperwork Chris handed to him as he headed towards the elevator "have to say I do rather like BA, they have it sorted with first class, so thank you" Matt continued with a wink and smile.

"Take care the both of you and come back to us safely ok" Chris said with a smile

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><p>An hour later, Matt pulled up and parked outside C.J's home. On seeing him pull up, C.J walked out and locked up behind her, picking up her bags she slung them into the back of his pick-up.<p>

"So what's the story?"

"Cattle rustling C.J from my father's ranch" Matt replied grimly and then recounted his phone conversation.

Arriving at the airport Matt sorted the tickets and checked the bags whilst C.J sorted some last minute calls back to Murray.

"C'mon C.J we need to get a move on"

"Gotta go Murray sorry…" C.J responded and replaced the receiver

"C.J I think we best not speak about this case on the plane ok, just can never tell who might be listening. We're going back for to help on the ranch and to help with cattle movement, but let's try and stay off the subject"

"Ok, well I have loads of paperwork so I'm gonna just get on with that" C.J replied with a smile

"You don't have to be that anti-social!" Matt responded with mock indignation.

Seven hours later, they touched down in Houston and Matt collected the car Chris had arranged. Exhausted they quietly drove to the ranch house in quiet companionship, where they found bread, meats and cheese waiting for them by the housekeeper. Bo had dropped in and left a message to say they would meet them at eight in the morning with the horses saddled and ready to go.

"But for now I think it's time for bed"

Nodding C.J followed him up where at the top of the stairs they said good night and Matt gently kissed her on the cheek "Thanks for coming C.J"

"I wouldn't be anywhere else…..goodnight Matt"

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><p>They woke early the following morning and met with Bo and Lamar over breakfast and coffee, whilst the housekeeper sorted food for their day in the saddle.<p>

"Bo how many guys do we have counting the livestock today?" Matt asked between slugging a mug of coffee

"Err… Sixteen and that includes you and C.J. I've made it look like an average livestock move to new pastures, to stop anyone getting suspicious, not even the guys know…. just in case any of them are being paid a second income by another rancher!"

"Good idea, thanks Bo"

"Bo are you going to lead the move as normal" C.J asked looking back and forth between Matt, Bo and Lamar

"Houston, if it's Ok with you…yes I will"

"Yup you take the lead, as far as everyone is concerned both C.J and I are taking some time out from life in LA and just coming back to help…..that's the line we must take here" Matt confirmed "Lamar you're Bo's right hand man as always" Matt finished.

Lamar nodded and then together they gathered their saddle bags and set out to the barn where all the wranglers sat around drinking coffee whilst waiting for Bo's instructions.

"Ok Guys thanks for being prompt this morning …we've got a long day ahead and several days of moving the cattle to the new pastures so listen up whilst I allocate todays horses, we'll be rotating them on almost daily basis".

"Pete you'll be on Sundance, Joey on Maverick….. " Bo continued until all the wranglers had been allocated

"C.J why don't you take Dime and Matt could you ride Simba today" Bo finished

"Sound's good to me" Matt said with a nod and went with C.J to collect their saddles. C.J sensed a number of eyes watching her as she headed to the barn but tried to ignore them

"Don't take any crap form them C.J, you can hold your own and more than prove yourself in the saddle, but they don't know you, so be careful ok" Matt quietly whispered to her.

Nodding she smiled but remained silent.

Everyone gathered to be allocated a team, Bo being mindful of C.J being the only women on the ride-out, something he intended to right over the course of the next few days.

Ok these are the teams, be sure to stick to them. Most of you know Matt n' C.J but for those of you who don't, they have been riding since they were kids and they know their stuff and part of the team like the rest of us. So I wanna see the same respect shown towards them like everybody else here today. If I see any egos creepin' in I'll personally see to it myself that you are bought down to the same level as everybody else. If Lamar asks you to do something, you do it"

"Ok your teams are….." Bo reeled off the four teams and then they set off.

"C.J Chris is one to watch ok and I've deliberately put him with Lamar, that way he is farthest away from us. He's ok but he's well let's say traditional …"Bo said with a wide grin

"Chauvinist is what I believe you are trying to say…but duly noted…thanks Bo" C.J laughed quietly back.

"Have a good ride C.J" Matt called tipping his hat

"Back at ya Houston" C.J replied with the same gesture

"Feels like the ol' times havin' Matt an' you back here in good old Texas" Bo said with a smile

"It's great to be back Bo, the change will be as good as a rest" C.J replied

"Ma'am you sure can ride well" the young wrangler Joey offered

"Call me C.J, but thank you Joey. I grew up here since I was ten years old, helping with all the cattle moves every summer and the branding everything….my uncle was the foreman then, when Bo was lower down the ranks" C.J replied finishing with a laugh "We sure did have fun though didn't we Bo in those long summers"

"We sure did"

"So you were bought up by your uncle, he was a tough man according to the stories I've heard" Joey proffered

"Yes he was, not much of a father figure that's for sure, Bill Houston provided that role for me. I was one of the lucky ones I guess in so many ways. Bill paid for my college and graduate school fees and so many other things besides" C.J replied

"I never met Mr Houston senior, but as the stories say he was a good man" Joey replied more confidently

"The very best" Bo interjected with a wink to C.J

They began the steep climb up into the hills leaving the ranch house and barn beginning to resemble a speck in the distance. Conversation ebbed and flowed as they began to find and round up various small groups of grazing cattle. Eventually they all broke for lunch and Matt walked over to join C.J and Bo.

"So Bo tonight maybe you and Lamar could come and eat with us this evening, there would or shouldn't be any suspicion as they know we are friends, any thoughts?" Matt said softly, so none within earshot could hear

"Na that would be great" Bo answered "we can all catch up"


	2. Chapter 2

**The Rustle- Chapter 2**

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><p>"Ughhh I forgot I had these muscles" C.J groaned as slipped out of the saddle<p>

"No pain no gain C.J you know the phrase" Matt replied laughing

"So you keep telling me Pal…right I'm gonna get my horse sorted for the night and then take a long hot bath before dinner" C.J shot back and then looked back and with a smile she winked.

"Bo's taken mine…here let me help you" Matt replied gently slipping his hand around C.J's waist, as she led her horse into the barn.

With Matt's help they had C.J's horse un-tacked and fed and brushed down and in his stall for the night.

Stroking his neck "Thanks for a good ride and looking after me today Dime" C.J said softly.

"You have a gift with horses C.J" Matt said as he watched while C.J and Dime connected with one another

"No more so than you Houston ..." C.J turned towards him and smiled

Holding out his hand, C.J gave one last pat and then accepted his hand and together they walked back towards the main house.

"I'll bring you a scotch whilst you start running a bath for yourself" Matt offered

Smiling C.J wearily climbed the stairs and headed for her room and started running her bath. Twenty minutes later Matt knocked on the door "Ok for me to come in" Matt asked

"Sure" came the reply

Matt walked through to the bathroom "Where you… all I can see are bubbles!" he asked laughing. Sitting on the side of the bath he handed her the glass of scotch

They sat relaxed together in one's company, chatting about their day in the saddle and what they had observed so far.

"Well dinner is cooking, I decided to order in, think we are all too tired to start cooking ourselves" Matt said as he grabbed C.J. towel of the heat rail "Here you go..."

"Ahh that sounds like a good idea, I'm hungry, what have you ordered?" C.J replied softly

"Steaks and baked potatoes from the BBQ hut nearby"

"Divine.."

"I'll leave you to get yourself sorted, come down when you're ready….and thank you" Matt replied kissing her gently

"Thank you?...thank you for what?" C.J asked quizzically

"For coming out here with me, I appreciate it"

"Oh Matt. C'mon you know I wouldn't be anywhere else" C.J replied reassuringly "I don't want to see cattle rustled any more so than you".

C.J came down a while later to Matt, Bo and Lamar sat round the kitchen table drinking beers and chatting through potential strategies and plans.

"Hey C.J. how was the day for you?" Lamar asked

"Was good we completed the count in the lower pastures and they were all accounted for thank goodness"

"Yeah its the hills I think where there is the discrepancy but good to hear lower pastures are all accounted for"

"Who led the other group Lamar" C.J asked

"Dave did- he has left two guys with full supplies at one the cabins to keep a watch" Lamar replied "but as I think Bo remarked earlier we don't trust that Chris guy one bit" he continued.

"How so?"

"Dave said he's seen him over at some of the neighbouring ranches regularly and chatting with two of the owners on a regular basis"

"…..But Lamar…."

"What C.J's gonna to say in less than thirty seconds from now Lamar is that aint evidence and we need more to go on than that…aint ya C.J" Matt interjected with a wink at C.J.

"….Well yes…" C.J replied with a sigh taking a beer from the fridge and joining them at the table.

Matt gently took the bottle from her and opened it returning it into C.J's hand with a quiet smile. The food arrived shortly after and the four of them tucked in to the meal whole heartedly and continued to discuss plans.

"Gonna put you both on the same horses again tomorrow and then day three will be their rest day" Bo suggested to them as they began to leave

"Ok sounds good" Matt responded

"Sleep well, tomorrow's gonna be a longer day"

"Will do" C.J replied.

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><p>The alarm woke them at five sharp in the morning, the quiet stillness of the night slowly being banished by the new day dawn was both eerie and peaceful. The heat however was not, its smothering effects were already beginning to feel stifling and oppressive and the humidity was steadily increasing.<p>

Matt kicked back his sheets and began to rouse himself. Hitting the shower to freshen up and cool off he began thinking about the game plan for the day ahead. They were going to start the climb higher into the hills later to count and bring down the final herd of cattle into the lower pastures, which Bo had anticipated would take up to two days to complete. Whilst most of the ranch hands would come back each day, Bo was strategically keeping some of the wranglers out in the cabins whilst bringing the others back to base along with Matt and C.J. He had selected Chris and two other wranglers to stay at the higher cabin and two at the lower one knowing full well Chris had been down to the bar the night before and any action that could take place would do over the next forty eight hours. Bo knew that if there was going to happen the action would happen sooner than later, but when everyone was least expecting it. Bo knew that however watchful the guys were, drowsiness was always and would always be an issue.

C.J stood in her shower, thinking back to the conversations from the night before and how Bo was planning to ensure everyone rode and partnered with one other rider preferably two, that way if any suspicious behaviour was observed in terms of cattle spotting, this would then be picked up by co-riders. However, Bo also knew that the only way to catch those involved was to partner everyone strategically. Bo and Lamar knew their wranglers well and who had their best intentions, honest and trust at their heart.

Bo and Lamar had their game plan fully sketched out and they knew those whom they did and didn't trust and those for whom money was at the centre of all their life decisions, discussions and actions. Matt and herself trusted Bo and Lamar and their judgements, but she knew the next two days were gonna see them all tense and on high alert.

Grabbing her jeans and a check short sleeved top, she changed quickly and headed down stairs to where breakfast had been prepared in advance by Matt's housekeeper, Mary. The smell of fresh coffee permeated the kitchen and surrounding rooms.

"Ahhh that smells good" C.J exclaimed as she entered the kitchen

"Come sit yourself down, I have sausages, eggs and hash brown all hot n ready" Mary enthused.

Grabbing a steaming mug of coffee and helping herself from the bottle of half n half, C.J sat down with a smile

"Thank you Mary this looks great"

"Enjoy…have you seen Matlock yet this morning?" Mary continued

"He should be down any mo. soon, he'll be smelling the food, I'll bet"

"I did indeed, good morning to you both" Matt responded as he entered the kitchen.

"Matt it's not morning yet, it is still the middle of the night, or so it feels!" C.J laughed in response

"Listen, Bo called me, there was brawl at one of the bars last night. Seems as though one of guys has been hospitalised and a wrangler from one of the ranches down the road has been arrested. Bo is looking for replacements but we may be down 2 men."

"What happened, what was the brawl about?" C.J replied

"Bo was calling the sheriff to find out, he is hopping mad though. Sounds as though it was planned or at least semi deliberate. He has his suspicions. It was the nice young lad Joey who's gotten beat up bad. Sounds as though he tried to diffuse the brawl, but that's where Bo thinks it was a ploy. Mick tried to stop Joey but it was too late, Mick is Joey's mentor by the way and Bo trusts him. Lamar is speaking with Mick now to get his take on things"

"Is Joey going to be Ok" C.J enquired with concern

"Yup so I hear but he's gonna be out of action for a couple of weeks…..Bo has re-jigged and thinks he will put you with him again and I'll go with either Mick or Lamar"

"Ok sure"

"Be careful out there today C.J, things are getting tense" Matt warned her gently "Bo will see you are taken care of, he has another cowgirl riding today and he is treating her the same as you, but he is worried"

"I'll be fine Matt, really I'll be fine"

"I know but be on your guard ok, please"

Nodding C.J replied somewhat subdued "I will, I promise you"

They ate breakfast whilst Mary packed their saddle bags with food to sustain them throughout the day.

"Now you two take care today alright, and come back safe this eve. I'm preparing you and the rest of the gang a huge meal of meatballs and creamed potatoes for when you all get back".

The yard was a hive of activity with horses being saddled and readied for the day ahead. The atmosphere was tense with the news of Joey and those who had been at the bar the previous night. Bo was still livid with those he had torn a strip off in regards to their behaviour, some were deeply apologetic and went over to Matt and apologised as well, but three remained indifferent, and those were the ones Bo and Lamar were most concerned about.


End file.
